Root crop harvesting machines



May 7, 1957 G. w. RICHARDSON RooT cRona HARvEsTrNG MACHINES Filed Aug'. 24, 195s 3 SheetsSheet 1 May 7, 1957 G. w. RlcHARDsoN RooT CROP HARvEsTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1953 Inventor MM @man Attorneys May 1; 1957 Filed Aug. 24. 1953 G. W. RICHARDSON ROYT CROP HARVESTING MACHINES s sheets-sheet 5 Attorneys United StatesPatenf ROOT ACROP HARVESTING MACHINES YGeorge Wilfred Richardson, ,Barrow-on-Humber, County of Lincoln, England, assignor of two-thirds to Thomas Brierley and Alan Courtiey, both of 'Dei-ker, Oldham, England v Application August 24, 1953, serialNo. 376,174

2 Claims. (Cl. 5556) This invention relates vto improvements in tractor drawn 'root -crop harvesting machines for harvesting crops nsuch as sugar beet, mangolds, swedes, carrots and the like.

The object yof the invention is a machine for lifting the roots from the ground and such machine in combination with mechanism for severing the Vtops or foliage from the crop without damage thereto.

According to the invention the machine comprises a framesuitably disposed alongsideatractor `and supported at the rear end thereby and by a wheel driven from the tractor, crop lifting tools being mounted on the frame to penetrate the ground, an inclined runway extending from the tools to an arcuate passage, 'a rotary spinner forming the base of the tunnel to move the crop therethrough and remove earth therefrom and gearing for driving the spinner.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan of the machine,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of same primarily on line 2 2 of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a detail front view partly in section of part of the machine,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the guides,

Fig. 5 is a front View of the foliage engaging discs,

Fig. 6 is a front view of the belt mounting.

The machine is constructed with a frame A supported at its rear end by -a tubular member Al extending behind a tractor wheel A2 and affixed to the usual implement attachment on the tractor to be capable of being lifted for transport purposes. The frame is also supported at its rear end by a wheel Al adjustably mounted on the frame A to allow for variation of the height of the frame. The frame A is conventionally adjustable relatively to the wheel Al as through a hand lever a shown in long and short dots in Fig. 2 and conventional associated elements (not shown) operating over a notched quadrant al.

The wheel A4 is driven by sprocket wheels a2, a3 chain al a transverse shaft a5 journalled in the frame A, sprocket wheels a6, a7 and chain a8 from the tractor wheel A2 thereby obviating any drag on the tractor due to the frame A being mounted alongside the tractor.

The shaft a5 `also carries a pair of bevel wheels a9 driving two bevel pinions b each mounted on a shaft bl supported in a transverse member bZ on the frame A. A belt pulley b3 is mounted on the upper end of each shaft bl.

Endless belts B, Bl pass over the pulleys b3 and extend to the front end of the frame A to pass around further belt pulleys bl, guide pulleys b5 and tensioning pulleys b6 being mounted on longitudinal members all on the frame A. The gearing driving the pulleys b3 is arranged to traverse the belts B, Bl in the direction of the arrows Fig. l at a speed substantially equal to the forward speed of the tractor whereby the travel of the belts in a direction opposite to that of tractor maintains the belts during this portion of their travel substantially stationary relatively to the ground.

ICC

The pulleys b* at the forward end of the frameA are carried on depending arms b7 pivotally mounted on a spindle c3. A spring ba is attached betweenthe arms b". Each ,depending arm b'l also carriesl a pointed. guide arm b9 spaced apart as shown in Figs. l and 4. l

'Ihe belt pulleys b4 supported Yon the Iarms b'l :pivoted to the spindle c3 as shown in Figs. l and 6 are capable of a vertical adjustable movement through a lever cl Aoperating over a notched quadrant cll to rotate the spindle cs and raise or lower rods cl carrying the vSupporting brackets for the pulleys bl. The front end of the fname lis supported on discs C capable ofr adjusting their positions j long and short dots in Fig. 2,.

The discs C may Valso adjust their relative positions horizontally to accommodate themselves laterally, relatively to the crop through springs c5y connected between the free ends ofthe arms c and arms c'I on the frame A.

'The discs C during their rotation may engage `thelongitudinal members all on the frame A carrying the belt pulleys bl lor projections on the ,arms c may engage the membersl all whereby the discs C are moved laterally relatively to the frame as they engage a plant.

The guides b9 engage the tops or foliage of each plant and deect the belt pulleys bl to bring the belts B, Bl to each side of the tops or foliage which are gripped between the belts. The movement of the belt pulleys b4 causes a transverse movement of the longitudinal members all which deflect the discs C to allow the discs t0 engage the portion of the plant projecting above ground level.

A horizontal cutter balde Cl is mounted on one disc carrying Iarm c to project between the adjacent peripheries of the discs C to sever the tops from the plant in proximity thereto without damage to the root.

The tractor is driven along the line of the crop with the frame A vertically above the line or row. The guides b9 engage the tops or foliage on each side of each plant and move the belts B, Bl and discs C transversely to enable the adjacent portions of the peripheries of the discs to engage and ride up over the root as shown in long and short dots in Fig. 2 in order that the cutter Cl may sever the tops adjacent thereto without damage to the root. The tops or foliage pass between the belts B, Bl and are gripped between the two faces thereof by which they are traversed to the rear end of the frame A whilst occupying a substantially stationary position relatively to the ground to prevent pulling from the root. The tops or foliage are thus maintained out of contact with the ground and therefore are kept free from earth. At the rear end of the frame the tops or foliage are discharged from the belts as these latter pass round the pulleys b3 and deposited on a platform e9 from which they may be delivered to a truck drawn by the tractor, or elsewhere.

Crop lifting tools D are mounted at an inclination on an arm d depending from the tubular mmeber Al, the tool D penetrating the ground to raise the roots which travel up an inclined runway dl extending from the tools D and into an arcuate tunnel like passage a portion of the sides of which are closed by rods or laths dll pivoted on the rear of the frame A and enclosed by further rods or laths d3. The raising of the root crop up the runway dl is assisted by a rotating disc or spinner Dl mounted on an inclined shaft dl journalled in a rod al2l extending transversely of the frame A, curved tines d6 forming the base of the tunnel, radiate from the disc Dl and push the crop into the passage and cause it to turn about itself |as the tines rotate which removes earth from the crop,

the crop finally emerging from the passage at the rear Ielaim: v l i, 1 1. A root crop-harvestingmachine comprising a draft CII frame, a cross member mounted on the rear of the frame, l

a driving shaft extending transversely of the frame, arms depending from said cross member, crop lifting tools on Qthe lower ends'of said arms to lift the roots from the soil `as the frame advanced,.inner and outer vertical sets 'of curved soil-sifting tines forming the sides of atunnel at the rear of the frame and operatively associated there# iwith, said tines extending rearwardly and being terminally 'free, a` rotary spinner having its axis radially inwardly of saidtnnnel whereby the lifted crop and dirt will travel in apath' spaced from said axis, said spinner having a crcumferential series of radial tines providing the base of 4rthe tunnel and acting to advance the roots through the tunnel by its rotation, and means driven by said shaft for rotating the spinner during the advance of the frame.

2. A root crop harvesting machine comprising a draft 'frame, a cross member mounted on the rear of the frame, 25 a driving shaft extending transversely of the frame, arms fdepending from said cross member, crop lifting tools fixed `to the lower ends of said arms set at an upward and rearward inclination to lift the roots `from the soil as the frame is advanced, inner and outer vertical sets of curved soil-sifting tines forming the `sides of a tunnel at the rear of the frame and operatively associated therewith, said tines extending rearwardly and being terminally free, a rotary spinner mounted in rear of the crop lifting tools with its axis radially inwardly/- of said tunnel whereby the lifted crop and dirt will travel in a path spaced from said axis and for rotation in approximately the same inclined plane with the crop lifting tools, said `spinner having a circumferential series of radi-a1 tines Providing the base of the tunnel and acting to receive the roots from the upper rear ends of the crop lifting tools and to advance the roots through the tunnel and', clean the roots throughaction of the tines,` bearing means, an inclined shaft for the spinner journaled in said bearing means geared to the driving shaft extending transversely of the frame to be driven therefrom, the outer vertical set of tines extending rearwardly from one of said arms, and the other set of ftines bein'glcam'ed by said bearing means with their front ends spaced rearwardly from said bars.

References Cited in the le of this patent i UNITED STATES PATENTS Roepke Jan. 12, 1943 2,308,392 2,337,698 Walz Dec. 28, 1943 Andersen et a1 Jan. 9, 1951 

